Andy was woken by something soft tickling her nose. A buzzing sound filled her ears as she slowly opened her eyes. Andy stared into the facetted eyes of a bee as big as her Hobbit hand. With a shriek she crawled away and immediately pulled her blanket over her head. As quickly as possible, she crawled her way into the kitchen, trying not to pull the blanket off of herself. As she banged her head against a wooden shelf she started swearing under her breath and slightly lifted the blanket, to see where she was. Correcting her direction, she let it drop again and crawled on. Next, she hit a chair leg. Fili, who was sitting on that chair, looked down.
"Andy?", he asked confused. Hearing her name, made her throw back a part of the blanket and look up.
"'Sup?", she greeted.
"What are you doing?"
"Hiding", was her answer and she looked around suspiciously. Bofur, sitting on the other chair next to Fili, looked down on her.
"There's no need to worry. Master Beorn won't harm us", he spoke, thinking she was hiding from the huge man. Andy scoffed.
"As if I'm afraid of the teddy bear. " Beorn growled at that comment. "That darn bee was so close to sucking my eyeball out of its socket. Those things are terrifying!" The dwarves snickered. Andy got to her feet and pulled the blanked close around her body, only leaving a little slit open for her to see. She was looking back over her shoulder, as Fili reached down and lifted her up onto the chair bog enough for both. Andy let out a yelp and pulled the blanket closer around her body, thinking it were the bees abducting her. The snickers turned into laugher.
"The bees won't harm you, little beast. You can show your face", Beorn spoke, his lips also twitching. After a moment Andy threw the blanked back. Her hair stood off in all direction, making the dwarves giggle even more. With an unamused face expression, Andy tied her hair back. This was not a good start into the day for her.
Beorn curiously watched the scene unfold in front of him. It seemed like the dwarves really didn't see the threat in her. They all looked so familiar with her. She didn't stand out, as he thought she would. She was part of them.
Thorin stood leaned against a wall, also watching Andy enter the kitchen. He thought it was amusing, that she was afraid of those friendly fluffy bees and not from the man who tried to kill her just yesterday. Then again, she seemed to be used to such people. The smile that managed to crawl onto his face dropped, as he caught Beorn's eyes.
"So, you are the one they call Oakenshield", he spoke, watching Thorin carefully. The dwarves turned quiet, now carefully watching the giant man. Andy of course was not bothered by him and grabbed herself something to eat. "Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"
Thorin's eyebrow rose. "You know Azog?", he asked, not wanting to answer him.
"My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the orcs came down from the North. The Defiler killed most of my family. But some he enslaved. Not for work, you see, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him. "
Andy stopped eating, hearing this. All the guilt and the blame washed over her, knowing, it was her responsibility to prevent that. And she didn't. She was licking wounds in the Shire. For good sixty years.
"They are more people like you?", Ori asked curious.
"Once there were many", Beorn said sadly.
"And now?", Kili asked hesitatingly.
"Now there is only one. "
A silence laid over the company and they lowered their heads, showing respect to the dead.
"Where was the Protector?", Fili sheepishly asked catching Beorn's attention. "Surely she was out there somewhere. Didn't she come to help?"
Andy's apatite turned into nausea. Beorn watched her closely as he gave the young dwarf his answer.
"We waited for her. A very long time. The parents tried to encourage their kids with the thought, that the protector of all races would come and save us as soon as she could. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into years. We were perishing. Fast. Our hearts turned hard, feeling betrayed by the one who was supposed to protect us. Only through luck I managed to escape. And I stay the only one who ever managed to do so. "
Andy felt like crying her eyes out. She wanted to crawl to his feet and beg for forgiveness. The hate she felt for herself also started to rise. Hate for the stupid decision she made, all those Decades ago.
"Well, I know it's too late for your people. But if it gives you a little comfort; we think she's back", Bofur spoke and gave Beorn a sad smile. The man looked over to the dwarf.
"You do?"
"Aye", Kili confirmed with a nod. "Since we started our quest, a hooded woman saved us a few times already. It would fit her profile. But we don't know for sure."
"She spared me from drowning", Fili said.
"And she saved Thorin from falling off the cliff in the battle of the stone giants." Nori piped up.
"Don't forget, that she appeared in the battle of Moria all those years ago", Dwalin cut in. "She stopped Azog from killing Thorin. Even if she's not the Protector herself, she appeared for the first time, as the Protector was still around. So maybe she's, her heir. "
Beorn's eyes wandered over the company, looking for any sign that they were choking. His eyes fell on Thorin, who stared at the floor. Feeling his gaze, the dwarf looked up.
"Aye", he confirmed. "She saved me not once, but twice. "
A small smile appeared on Beorn's lips.
"Well, it is good to know, that she's back. She can learn from her mistakes and help the other races the way she didn't help mine. "
Andy looked up and caught Beorn gaze. Though he no longer seemed angry, she couldn't bare the weight of unspoken words in his eyes. Hopping off the chair she left the room.
"I need some air", was all she gave as explanation. Worried the dwarves looked to the door she disappeared.
"Poor lass", Glion spoke. "She still looks, as if she hasn't slept properly for weeks. "
While Gandalf, Beorn and Thorin discussed, if and how they will reach the Mirkwood with or without Beorn's help, Fili and Kili snuck out. An opportunity offered itself to them and they would not let it slip away. It was time to find out, what Andy was hiding.
Andy didn't know where she was heading. She just ran. Away from her mistakes. Away from the truth she tried to avoid. Away from her problems. She didn't go too far in fear she would get lost or not be able to be back in time, if something terrible happened. So, she dropped to the ground at the foot of an old Oaktree.
A storm was raging on her inside. She had no idea, that the dwarves already made the connection between the Guardian Angel and the Protector.
Hearing Beorn's story hit her deep. She knew, she left all her duties behind. But she never thought, that the work she did, actually had an effect on the world. No one was ever satisfied with it, she always did something wrong. So of course, the one time she decided to sit out for a little while, an entire race would go almost completely extinct! One she was supposed to protect. And she didn't. Because she was sulking and crying over her broken heart.
She also knew, she got to attached to the company. She felt home around them. And that scared her. They didn't know half of her person, yet they trusted her blindly. What scared her even more, was that she didn't care anymore. If she would have to expose herself to be able to save them, then that was what she would do. She could handle all the broken trust and all the hate. As long as she knew they were safe. As long as she knew, Thorin sat on his throne, building up the home of many. She had failed a lot of people throughout her live. These thirteen dwarves would not belong to them. She would rather die, than let them down.
Andy shut her eyes and leaned her head against the tree. A gentle breeze stroked through the forest, playing with the leaves. She breathed through, letting her body relax. After a few more moments, Andy let her mental blockade down, letting the memories flow. She thought of all the Millenia's she's lived. Of Valinor, Beleriand, Nargothrond, Gondolin, Belegost and Nogrod, even Numënor. All the great time she had, all the things she learned. All the acquaintances she made, even a few friends she found on the way. But also, all the sorrow she went through, the losses she witnessed, the death upon them all. One hit to the gut after each other, knocking her down with no one to help her up again. Her decision to commit treason and run away. The coincidental encounters on her way, that lead to the intertwined mess her live turned into.
She didn't try to look away. To push away the parts, she didn't like. She embraced all her mistakes and all her flaws, even though they were painful. And her restless soul found a moment of peace. Her conscious fell silent after she finally listened to it. She knew who she was. She knew, what she had to do. It would be one hell of a ride but this time she would stand. She spent enough time running away. It was time to face all of it.
A shiver went over her body and she shifted. But she didn't care. With another deep breath, a smile lifted the corners of her lips, stretching over her fangs. She immediately jumped up, as her ears caught the sound of a snapping twig. Instinctively, she pulled her hood over her head. Not a second later, two dwarves jumped out of the bushed, their weapons ready for attack. Andy herself had pulled out her belt. After an extra swirl, the links connected and she now held her sword in front of her.
"Who are you", Kili asked with a serious face. Andy's eyes widened in shock, as she realised, they stood opposite the Protector and not Andy, the little Hobbit. She sometimes forgot in which body she was.
"Haven't figured it out yet?", she asked, cursing herself mentally. Why? Why couldn't she think for once, before speaking?
After a closer look they finally recognised her. How couldn't you, with that original Cape. Kili's fingers slipped and the arrow flew. Andy dropped to the side and rolled off. The arrow hit the Oaktree behind her.
"Well, that's not nice", she frowned at him. With a gasp, he lowered his bow.
"You're the Guardian Angel", he whispered his eyes wide in admiration. "Fili, tell me I'm not dreaming and we actually did just threat the most awesome woman in the world!"
Fili, also awestruck shook his head. "No, this is real, brother. "
As of that moment, there was no stopping Kili. He immediately let his bow drop and rushed over to her.
"Holy Mahal! Hello! I'm Kili, son of Dis. This is Fili, my big brother. It is so awesome to finally be able to meet you properly. How did you survive the fall of the mountain? Are you immune to any wounds? Can you feel pain? Is it true, that you meet our ancestor, Durin? How was he? Was he as moody as uncle Thorin? Do you have hair beads?"
Startled, Andy backed up, trying to get some distance between them. Kili's eyes fell on her cape, his mouth a gape. He grabbed the end of it and flipped it back and forth, marvelling over the structure.
"Hey, hand off", Andy said and pulled it out of his grasp. Not a second later he hung on her arm, to get a closer look at her sword.
"This is pure artwork!", he exclaimed, getting more excited by the second.
"Kili", Fili tried to get his brothers attention, noticing that the Guardian's patience dwindled.
Kili pulled Andy's arm further down. Andy kneeled down on one knee, to have a better balance. She tried to pull her arm from Kili's grasp, but he wouldn't let her go.
"Brother, take a look at this. It looks like ancient dwarf craft. Is this the sword, you lend to Thorin, during the battle of Moria? ", the dwarf spoke. By coincidence, he pressed the mechanism to loosen the chains that held the links together and her sword went loose.
"How awesome is this", Kili squealed an octave higher. He lifted up the chain of links and stretched it as far it would go. "Untightened it's almost two and a half feet longer, than the blade itself", he analysed in awe. That was enough. With a flick of her wrist Andy pulled her sword back, not wanting Kili to break it. What she didn't expect, was for Kili to hang on to the end and crash into her. With a yelp she lost balance and they both fell over.
"I'm so sorry", Kili immediately apologised and got up. Fili rushed over. Each one took a hand of Andy and pulled her upright again. Then they froze. First Andy didn't know what was wrong. Then she felt the sun on her face. Her yellow eyes widened in shock and she stared at the dwarf brothers, still holding her hands. Their face expression shifted from recognising to confusion to betrayal and slight horror.
"Andy?", Fili whispered voiceless.